Compounds which possess N-methyl-(d)-aspartate (NMDA) blocking properties are useful in the treatment and/or prevention of neurodegeneration in pathological conditions such as stroke, cerebral ischaemia, cerebral palsy, hypoglycaemia, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's chorea, Olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy, perinatal asphyxia and anoxia.
Kametani et al. [J. Chem. Soc.(C) 112-118 (1968) investigated isoquinoline alkaloid derivatives and obtained 1',2',3',4'-tetrahydro-6'-hydroxy-5,6,7'-trimethoxyspiro[indane-1,1'-isoqu inoline] as a product of phenolic cyclization.
Spiro[indane-1,1'-isoindoline] was disclosed by Robinson et al[Tet. Letts. 30. 5203-5206 (1989)]. No biological data were reported.